This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2025-2026 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
Umesh R. Desai, Ph.D.
Professor and chair
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry applies the latest strategies and concepts from several broad scientific disciplines — including synthetic chemistry, molecular modeling, computational biology, biological chemistry, structural biology and pharmacology — to discover new pharmaceutical agents and their mechanism of action in various diseases impacting humans.